The Dancing Farmer
by Angel Peach Blossom
Summary: Jill never expected to dance with a certain bartender. But when the circumstances and time are right, that's just what will happen! Entry in the Village Square Contest.


Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Harvest Moon.

**AN: This story marks my 100th story posted here! It is also an entry for the Village Square Contest, which is Dance this time around. This oneshot is also dedicated to Awesome Rapidash. **

The autumn day sun blazed overhead, taking away some of the chill in the air. Sounds of animals could be heard around the farm, such as the clucking chickens, and the contented moos of the cows. A black cat and a brown furred dog played happily in the fields.

Jill couldn't help giggling when she saw their antics. Luna and Buddy always brought a smile to her face as she did her chores in the field. After watching them for a few more minutes, she shook her head quickly, causing her ponytail to swish back and forth as she went back to work.

The brunette was happy she came to Forget Me Not Valley. At first, she was worried that she may regret her decision. But most of the people were very friendly, and the farm work had been very rewarding. Sure some problems came up every now and then, but not enough to make her forfeit. She promised herself that she would never give up, no matter what hardships came her way.

Jill's purple eyes scanned the field to make sure she didn't miss anything. Her crops were watered, and were getting enough sunlight. She only had a couple chickens and cows, but they were also well cared for; feeding off of the grass and being petted. She always made sure that she brushed her cows and her horse too. But the rest of her field, she had to admit, was still a mess. Weeds still cluttered some areas, along with some sticks and rocks.

Jill sighed softly, and reached into her pocket pulling out a red handkerchief. She dabbed it gently against her forehead. "There's still a lot of work to be done," she murmured. "I want to make this farm something to be proud of."

She realized though that she didn't have enough energy to finish clearing the fields. At least, not at the moment, considering all the other stuff she did. Deciding that it would be for the better if she took some rest, she made her way down to the Blue Bar. As she neared the gate, she called to her cat and dog to not cause too much trouble.

The farmer made her way slowly to the village's drinking establishment. She didn't want to rush herself, and her arms and legs were aching. Jill paused a few times to rub her sore arms, and even knelt to the same thing to her ankles and legs. Though it took longer than she hoped, she finally made it to the Blue Bar.

Just as she opened the door and allowed herself inside, Jill collapsed to the wooden floor, causing the two residents who lived there to gasp. Muffy and Griffin dropped what they were doing and rushed to her side.

"Are you okay, Jill?" Griffin asked her, as he helped her into a sitting position.

Jill managed a smile as she looked at her two friends. "Yeah… I think so. I might have worked a little too hard today though."

Muffy shook her head at the brunette's confession. "You really shouldn't be pushing yourself too hard. You need to know your own limits, Jill."

Griffin extended his hand toward the farmer, and she accepted it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She looked a little embarrassed, but she also looked apologetic. The bartender seemed to guess what was on her mind as he helped her to her a nearby chair.

"I'm not happy that you pushed yourself so far," he told her.

"I figured as much," Jill said softly. "It's just that… lately, I keep thinking on how great I want to make the farm. I want my family proud of me… even my late grandfather."

Griffin nodded slowly. He knew exactly what she was talking about. Her grandfather passed away the year before and the farm had been left to her. He had been a great farmer in his day, but as he got up in years, he couldn't keep up with it.

Was Jill trying to live up to the memories of before? She did talk very fondly of her past where she had been at his farm for a full summer. She also said that she wanted him to be proud of her. He walked behind her and, much to her surprise began to gently massage her shoulders and back.

The farmer could feel her cheeks reddening, to feel the brush of his hands on her like that. Yet, she felt herself relax under his touch. He very carefully moved his hands as though he had done this many times before.

"I can understand how you feel," the bartender remarked. "I'm sure everyone has someone that they look up to like you do. Of course you would want them to be proud of you. But, I'm sure they don't want you to overdo it."

"Yeah…" Jill murmured. She gasped slightly as Griffin managed to get rid of a persistent knot in her back. "I guess… it's like I'm in a dance."

"A dance?" Muffy questioned, looking into her friend's violet eyes. "That's a rather strange thing to say!"

Jill chucked slightly. "Yeah, but I mean it. Now that I think about it, I've been doing it since I started last spring."

Griffin lifted his hands and moved in front of her. The look in her eyes showed that she wasn't kidding. He gave the girl a curious look.

"Well, you could say it started like a like a basic dance," Jill began, rubbing her right arm with her left hand. "But then, after a while, things changed. It wasn't so basic anymore. I started to prance around the village, maybe doing a pirouette or something…"

Before she could continue, Griffin gently took hold of Jill's shoulder. "I think you are stressing yourself out more. I think it's more than just making others proud of you. You don't need to feel like you are trapped in that way. I can see it in your eyes."

"Griffin…"

"Listen to me, Jill. You don't have to go that far in order to impress other people. After all, those who will be proud in the end will feel that way because you are doing your best."

"He's right, you know," Muffy piped up. "You don't have to impress us, Jill. We are your friends after all!"

Jill shook her head, wondering why she never thought of that sooner. Even her own mother would say that she was proud of her provided she did her best. She slowly realized that she had been overdoing things, and she could go a little slower. The rest of her field could wait until winter, where she wouldn't be able to grow any crops.

"I'm sorry," the farmer apologized again. "I mean… you guys are right."

Griffin gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, Jill. As long as you understand, then it isn't a problem."

"That's right," Muffy chirped cheerfully. "Now, since you are here, can we offer you a drink?"

Jill smiled back, and nodded her head. "Yeah, how about some Fall Colors?"

"No problem!" the barmaid replied as she went to go get the farmer's order.

Not long after Muffy left, Jill turned her gaze toward Griffin. "I know it was kinda silly of me to talk about dance like that…"

"Yeah, it was," he admitted. "But then again, we can all be a little silly sometimes, though I never imagined you would say anything like that."

The brunette managed to laugh a little. "Yeah, I know. Speaking of dance, I was wondering… maybe you and I could dance together sometime, Griffin."

The mention of dancing with her caused his cheeks to heat up. He lightly touched the tip of his nose with a finger. "I'm not that good of a dancer," he told her.

"Neither am I," Jill admitted. "But we could still dance sometimes… as long as we don't step on each other's toes or anything!"

Griffin lightly scratched his nose. "Well… I guess we could…"

"Great!" Jill was about to stand up, but then remembered that her legs still ached a little bit and she sat back down quickly. "Well… maybe some other day."

The elder bartender smiled, happy to see that Jill understood. "That would be just fine.


End file.
